Kukla's Korner Hockey

Peter Bondra plans to inform the Washington Capitals by Friday of his plans for the upcoming season, he said yesterday.
Bondra has been offered a one-year contract, believed to be worth $1.5 million, to return to Washington. The 37-year-old right wing also said he is weighing offers from "four or five" other teams.
"I'm really happy the Caps are trying to sign me. Who knows? Maybe by the end of the week, we might have a deal with the Caps. It would be nice be back, stay here, play for the Caps."

As part of its strategy to ramp up efforts following a season-long lockdown, the National Hockey League said Tuesday it has signed a roster of marketing, communications and PR agencies "to help reconnect with fans and launch the 2005-06 season."
Conductor, Los Angeles, an entertainment and brand agency, will use its "Hollywood storytelling skills" as the NHL's lead marketing communications and integration agency. CarryOn Communication, New York, will oversee strategic brand and consumer public relations. Rogers & Cowan, Los Angeles, will handle entertainment public relations. Media services will be overseen by PHD. Financial terms were not released.

OLN, the exclusive, national cable television home of the National Hockey League, announced veteran NHL announcer Mike "Doc" Emrick as the main play-by-play voice for the network's NHL coverage this upcoming season.
Emrick will be part of an announcing team that will call OLN's NHL games on Monday and Tuesday nights. More additions to OLN's hockey commentating team will be released as details become available. The NHL season begins on Wednesday, October 5 when OLN will present the Rangers vs. Flyers. A complete schedule will be released shortly.

Karmanos was just on Leafs Lunch and mentioned something I haven't heard about revenue sharing. He said the NHL has given teams 3 years to reach 85-90% capacity for games. If they do not reach that figure, revenue sharing will be cut off.

When Boston Bruins fans last saw Joe Thornton, the future for their beloved captain looked, well, a little bleak.
The Bruins had collapsed in the first round of the 2004 playoffs against an undermanned Montreal Canadiens team, blowing series leads of 2-0 and 3-1 along the way. Thornton had zero points while quietly suffering from a rib injury. He was barely visible on and off the ice, prompting a respected Boston columnist to suggest Thornton cash in the coveted captain's "C."
In the offseason, top-scoring linemate Mike Knuble shuffled off to Philadelphia as a free agent, following a long line of top-level Bruins driven from the fold for want of cash.
All in all, it looked like Thornton's days in Boston were numbered -- and destined to be played out under a rather ominous cloud.
But what a difference a lockout makes.

Jordan Little has been preparing for his big chance for months, working nights as a server at a Boston Pizza restaurant to help pay for the personal trainer who has been whipping him into shape.
On Sunday, Little flies to Edmonton to step onto the ice with the Oilers - all because of a TV show.
Little was one of more than 4,000 hopefuls who entered the Making The Cut television series. On Dec. 14, 2004, with 18 finalists remaining, the six Canadian NHL teams each awarded one player a training camp invitation.
The six-foot-four, 240-pound University of Manitoba defenceman had so impressed Kevin Prendergast that the Oilers executive made him the No. 1 pick.

Dallas Stars Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing Geoff Moore announced today that the NHL club has hired 2005 American Idol semi-finalist and Fort Worth native Celena Rae to be their regular anthem singer and help with other areas of the team's promotion and game entertainment for the 2005-06 season.

The big man with the big hands, broad shoulders, steely eyes and thick mustache wasn't so intimidating Monday as he carried his golf clubs while wearing a powder-blue shirt. Obviously, times have changed for Dave "The Hammer" Schultz. For starters, he's now a comedic speaker, which is first cousin to the stand-up comic.
Dave Schultz, funny man. That alone is hilarious.
Schultz wasn't overly amusing during his playing days. He was the nastiest, toughest, scariest goon in the National Hockey League in the 1970s, back when the players policed the game with their fists. When people remember the Philadelphia Flyers of 30 years ago, they think of the Broad Street Bullies. Nobody was a bigger bully than The Hammer.

It's more of the same, particularly with Datsyuk and his agent, Gary Greenstin. Red Wings general manager Ken Holland spoke with Greenstin late last week and faxed him multiple contract offers Saturday. Greenstin has since informed Holland those offers have been rejected.
Greenstin was due to arrive in Moscow today to discuss his next move with his client. Datsyuk is practicing with the Russian national team for an upcoming EuroTour tournament in the Czech Republic.
Last week, Greenstin told The Detroit News he wanted to have the framework for a deal in place by Sept. 1. If not, the agent said, Datsyuk likely would sign to play for Moscow Dynamo, the Russian Super League team he was with during the lockout last season.
Last week, Datsyuk's agent also told a Russian newspaper, Soviet Sport, the major stumbling block in negotiations is the length of the deal. Greenstin said the Wings offered a five-year contract to Datsyuk, who is seeking a two- or three-year term. Datsyuk, 27, would be eligble for unrestricted free agency in 2007.
Holland said Monday the Wings have offered Datsyuk contracts of varying lengths from 1-5 years, though the team would prefer not to sign him to a two-year deal.
Asked if the sides were still far apart on money in negotiations, Holland replied, "Well, we're certainly not close."